I read today Alice Walker’s eloquent and moving entreaty to you in her open letter.

It is hard to add anything except to implore you to follow all the links she has directed you to.

To introduce myself to you, I am a fellow musician, my name is Roger Waters, I used to be in a band called Pink Floyd, and, believe it or not, I still work.

I had reason last December to write a letter to Stevie Wonder to encourage him to withdraw from an engagement in LA. It was a Gala to raise funds for the Israeli Defense Force. I wasn’t the only one to write, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the great advocate of peace and reconciliation, was among many, many others who wrote as well. To Stevie’s great credit he withdrew.

We are all part of the same old story, nothing has changed since the bad old days of apartheid South Africa and Segregated America. We must stand united with all our brothers and sisters against racism, colonialism, segregation and apartheid.

Please, Alicia, do not lend your name to give legitimacy to the Israeli government policies of illegal, apartheid, occupation of the homelands of the indigenous people of Palestine.

Others may try to persuade you that by playing in Israel you may magically effect some change; we know that this is not true, appeasement didn’t work with South Africa and it has not worked in Israel. I know I tried it ten years ago, things have only got worse.

I appeal to you to join the rising tide of resistance. Join the many millions of us in global civil society who stand together on the side of justice and peace for all humanity. “We shall overcome one day.”

With love and respect,
Roger Waters

IOA Editor: Why not go to Alicia Key’s Facebook page and add a comment to any of her posts expressing your views on her upcoming performance in Israel? Or to her Twitter page? Or both? And, if you include a link to the IOA article page [THIS page], some of Alicia Keys’ followers might read it too.

WATCH: IDF does not want you to see what occupation looks like at 972 Magazine

Israeli corporal Ari Ben Reuven says: “break every bone” of crying Palestinian boy seized on way to school

The Electronic Intifada has captured even more horrifyingly racist and violent statements by Israeli soldiers on Facebook targeting Palestinian children as part of our effort to document this widespread phenomenon.

Israelis, including at least one person identifying himself as a soldier, reacted with genocidal joy on Facebook to the horrifying news that 17 Palestinians returning from a pilgrimage had been killed on March 16, 2013 in a bus accident in Jordan and dozens more injured.

Screen Capture 1
“I couldn’t ask for a better morning than this,” wrote Facebook user Kobi Yaacov Saroussi under an item about the accident on the Facebook page of Israel’s Channel 2, “Shame there isn’t another zero at the end [of the number of victims].”

Screen Capture 2
Among the most horrifying of the many horrifying comments were those of Chen Shaptiban who, based on a photo on his Facebook page, appears to be a member of the Israeli army’s notorious “Golani brigade” which was recently in the news because some of its members have posted shocking photographs on Instagram. One of Shaptiban’s reactions to the road accident was this:

May all Arabs die. There is no place for Arabs in the land of Israel. Maybe it sounds terrible to some people in north Tel Aviv, but they too do not deserve to live in this state, and yes, I am a proud racist, proud of my state and the soldiers guarding it!

Screen Capture 3
There were dozens more similar comments. Facebook user Demri Alice wrote “Finally it’s possible to ‘Like’ something,” to which she added a smiley face.

Electronic Intifada digs on and finds more horrific images of soldiers posting their ‘trophy photos’ on the internet.

“Oops…one less Arab”: Even more disturbing Instagram images from the Israeli army

One of the most disturbing photos in my opinion, the ‘habit’ of the “IDF Fashion Show” back in 2009, formerly isolated as an incident, seems to continue like always. Below this post an overview of more shirt-prints with sickening messages. Watch & decide for yourselves:

The t-shirt says “My first bullet, his last breath.” Posted by “ybaruch” (Source).

The context – particularly the character of the buildings seen in the background of the image – strongly suggests the child could be Palestinian.

There are no other images to suggest that the photographer actually fired at the person in the image in this case. The image is simply tasteless and dehumanizing. It embodies the idea that Palestinian children are targets.

Below a picture of severely wounded Nimir Fathi, laying on the ground while Israeli soldiers are stepping on his arms.

Israeli Soldiers Continue Their Facebook Displays Soldier spraying “Be Right Back” on a wall.Monday October 25, 2010 00:51 by Saed Bannoura – IMEMC & Agencies The Israeli Walla News website published on Sunday several pictures published by Israeli soldiers on Facebook showing “memories” while humiliating Palestinians during the war on Gaza

The “most moral army in the world” terrorizing children: Child of Bassem Tamimi, laying on a matrass during a raid of his family home (Nov 24, 2011) flashing a peacesign.

Man on crutches being molested by troops

Another “Trophy” Picture, Cuffed Palestinian

היא הדוגמה שלך על תיקון עולם??

A man of G-d teaching his daughter to shoot. The main principle of the Torah is “love your fellow like yourself”

(Bereishit Raba, parsha 24,: piska 7).

This principle includes considering the consequences of our actions, not only in our own lives but also in the lives of our fellow human beings throughout future generations. The greater extent of fulfilling the Mitzvah to “love your fellow like yourself”

(Vayikra 19:18)

“At the time when Hashem created the first human being, He showed him each of the trees in the Garden of Eden and told him: “See my works how good and excellent they are! Now all that I created is for your sake. Think upon this. Do not corrupt or destroy My world. For if you destroy it, there will be no one to restore it after you.” (Kohelet Raba 7:19)

IOF tramples and posing before an Israeli flag on top of personal bedding of Palestinians

Child detention why is it not in an ambulance being treated? This girl is Nesreen Hash’hash, 8 year old Palestinian girl who injured in the face by a rubber bullet in the Fawar refugee camp, near al-Khalil in WB Palestine, Tuesday, March 28, 2006. Nesreen was hit in the face by the rubber bullet fired by Israeli troops during a military operation in the camp, Palestinian officials said. The girl was on the roof of her home when she was hit.

A Palestinian woman reacts as she sits beside her daughter, as Israeli soldiers stand around a Palestinian injured girl Nisreen Abu Hashhash, an 8-year-old Palestinian girl who was injured in the face by a rubber bullet, in the El-Fawwar refugee camp, near the West Bank city of Hebron, Tuesday, March 28, 2006. Nisreen was hit in the face by the rubber bullet during a military operation in the camp, Palestinian officials said. The girl was on the roof of her home when she was hit. Photo by/Nayef Hashlamoun

A keychain hangs on a wall in a Palestinian house in Zeitoun, outside Gaza City, daubed with English and Hebrew graffiti left by the Israeli army when they withdraw from Gaza earlier this month, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2009. Inside and outside the home, graffiti had been daubed in Hebrew and English, with slogans including “1 is down, 999.999 to go” and ‘Arabs need 2 die’. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)

Graffiti daubed in House in Zeitoun, outside Gaza, written Hebrew and English inside occupied home, Written in Hebrew: ‘Gaza here we are’ & ‘You can run but you can’t hide’, and “‘Arabs: 1948 to 2009”

A Palestinian boy stands next to a bullet riddled wall and a graffiti showing a mosque with an Israeli flag in a partly destroyed apartment in Jebaliya, northern Gaza strip, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2009. The Israeli Army used that apartment as a base and left sprayed several graffiti pictures on the walls. U.N. humanitarian chief John Holmes, on the first day of a five-day trip to the region, called the steep Palestinian casualty toll “extremely shocking” and suggested the United Nations might ask Israel to compensate it for wartime damage to U.N. compounds in Gaza, but that he was looking at immediate humanitarian needs and thinking about longer-term reconstruction in Gaza. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)

‘Hello first class’ ( top right corner) ‘We shall return to every settlement in Gush Katif’ (bottom right referring to US/Israel evacuated Gaza strip settlements in 2005) Written in Hebrew graffiti at School destroyed by US Israel. Location: Beit Lahiya, Palestine (Jan 2009)

Another “Lay-out” of shizofrenic sickness, still thinking this is the “Most Moral Army in the world?”

JABALIA REFUGEE CAMP, GAZA STRIP – JANUARY 07: A Star of David is scrawled in drying blood on the floor in damaged house that was bombed by Israeli military yesterday near a UN-run school building on Janaury 7, 2009 in Jabalia, northern Gaza. An Israeli attack killed at least 42 people who had sought shelter in the UN-run building after they fled their homes at the Jabalia refugee camp. The United Nations has denied Israeli army allegations that militants were inside the school compound. (Photo by Abid Katib/Getty Images)

Graffiti in Hebron

IDF graffiti: ‘Death to Arabs’ Gaza 2009 (AP)

Graffiti in a bedroom of the Abu Hajaj home, two of whose members had earlier been killed in cold blood by an Israeli tank crew (photos: Kent Klich)

Eden Oreus (Gedera Regional High School): Channel 2, you are the garbage of the state, all respect to the Border Police officer and it’s a shame he didn’t put a bullet in the head of the son of a bitch videographer who documented it.

This posting from a high schooler was one of hundreds by Israeli Facebook users reacting with pride and joy, and incitement to violence and murder, on seeing a video of Israeli occupation soldiers in Hebron kicking a young Palestinian boy as he screams in pain.

The video, shot by a Palestinian videographer and released by B’Tselem, was widely reported in the Israeli media, and shows Israeli occupation soldiers in Hebron, occupied West Bank, violently assaulting a child whom B’Tselem identified as Abd al-Rahman Burqan, aged 9.

B’Tselem described the incident captured on film as follows:

The video shows a Border Police officer ambushing a child from around the corner. As the child walks past, the officer grabs him by the arm and says: “why are you making trouble?” The officer then drags the child, who is screaming, on the ground for a few seconds. A second Border Police officer then appears and kicks the boy. The officer then lets the child go. He runs away, and the two Border Police officers leave the scene as well.

Jessica Montell, the director of B’Tselem, said Israeli occupation authorities had opened an investigation into the incident, however in practice such investigations almost never lead to accountability and punishment of routine violence against Palestinians.

Though rare to catch on film, Border Police violence against Palestinians is unfortunately not a rare occurrence:
http://t.co/fYyN7Pxn

This boy threw stones a few minutes before the two soldiers, and wounded one of them in the head (the soldier who kicked) then the other soldier just managed to catch him, I have a friend in the [army] unit there – all honor to the IDF you are doing a great job Keep at it! If it were me, I would have smashed a [concrete] block on his head! Not just a kick!

Racist comments pervasive

It is important to emphasize that these kinds of racist and violent comments are not exceptional, but are pervasive and common. There are hundreds of them – far too numerous to translate and on Channel 2’s Facebook page they appear to far outnumber opposing sentiments.

Of course some Israelis expressed “shame” at the violent and racist comments, and on many occasions were denounced as “lefists” or worse for doing so. On the Facebook page of “100,000 Protestors Against the Occupation,” which drew attention to the racist comments on Channel 2’s page, for example, there were comments by a handful of Israeli Facebook users strongly condemning and lamenting the racism and calls for violence.

These are a few of the earliest comments posted in response to the Channel 2 item on the video:

Daniel Deri: It’s a shame he didn’t smash his face, the son of a bitch threw stones before. I wish each and every member of B’Tselem would die, those human scum.

Something to ponder about…
For who not sees or who’s eyes are still closes. IOA has become exactly and even worse than those, they feared and hated once themselves. Using the same atrocities, policies to oppress, ethnically cleanse and eradicate human beings. Creating a new Shoah (Holocaust) for the Palestinians in 1948 with Al Nakba, and sustaining it by hasbara and the world’s ignorance or at least those not using their own mind to reconsider the realistic facts. So Hasbara in 16 words explained:

“Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it…”
~ Joseph Goebbels

* The list of shuhada does not display, the numerous victims of the zionist occupation which are undocumented by media. Nor it displays the victims of the “silent onslaught” due to restrictions of movement, ability to go to hospitals for treatment or life saving surgery, due to lack of medication because of the blockades and so on. For example: The Slow Motion Genocide by the Siege on Gaza only, killed 600 patients since Gaza got under Israeli Siege.

Neither does this list, display the avoidable mortality. A clear and statistical factual evidence, about the number of deaths due to indecent ruling by occupation forces. For even an occupier has obligations under International Laws, Geneva Convention and the Hague regulations, which it is neglecting. These circumstances, together with deliberate policies of the occupier to neglect and even deny every basic human right, severes avoidable mortality which is totally silenced by media or reporting organisations. While in the Holocaust, 1 on 6 Jewish people directly died of deliberate neglect, so if we believe the facts over 1 million due to avoidable mortality, neither should these same circumstances be ignores which are ongoing in Palestine. For this report displays a avoidable morality of at least 0,5 million Palestinians.

How many more dead corpses of Palestinians does the international community need to see in order to act? How many more cruelties and violations of Human Rights, Regulations and International Law will be needed to intervene so this ongoing warcrime is being stopped once and for all.